Monthly Archives: May 2016

Since the Austrian National Library is a project partner within Europeana Sounds, we have the great opportunity to host an event highlighting a part of the collection we provided within the project: The “Beethoven meets Liszt” (Re)Discovery Event.

What is it about?

You might wonder what a (Re)Discovery Event exactly is. It refers to a series of events organised by several partners within the Europeana Sounds project.

Focusing on the words “discovery” or “rediscovery” one or several items of their collections will be presented and listened to. These might be very known “star items” and are therefore somehow rediscovered or represented during this event or they may be pretty unknown items and have therefore maybe just been discovered or are presented for the first time.

What can you expect?

A presentation of two very special items from our content which was contributed within Europeana Sounds: First Ludwig van Beethoven’s Spring Sonata op. 24 for violin and piano and second an autographic draft of the piano arrangement of the 2nd movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 6th Symphonie op. 68 the Pastorale by Franz Liszt.

These star items be presented by the head of our music department Dr. Thomas Leibnitz and put to music by Dianne Baar (piano) and Marie Isabel Kropfitsch (violin).

When and where?

The event is held on Thursday, 2nd of June at 7pm at the music department of the Austrian National Library. (Salon Hoboken, Palais Mollard, Herrengasse 9, 1010 Vienna)

Do you know what the favorite dish of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph was? Can you imagine what dishes were preferred by the famous Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth noblemen family of the Radziwiłłs? Or do you have an idea what the Battle of Vienna 1683 has to do with coffee?

Together with Vilnius University Faculty of Communication, the R&D Department of the Austrian National Library travelled to the culinary history of these two countries within the eCookbook “Tasting Historical Europe – Exploring the culinary threads between Austria and Lithuania”. Developed within the Europeana Food and Drink Project, the book takes a look at Europe from a different angle considering it to be a net of culinary connections where invisible historic threads lead to traditional kitchens.

The book is filled with traditional recipes from early cookbooks accompanied with old pictures and illustrations, as well as modern interpretations of traditional/old dishes which could easily find their ways to the contemporary kitchens of the reader. Seven food bloggers from Lithuania and Austria contributed to this culinary exploration of their countries, bringing traditional and historic recipes into the present.

Among others, the eCookbook features main dishes such as Zander prepared in the Dutch-Oven or Lithuanian-styled saddle of venison, but also sweet delicacies such as “Vienna cake” or “Viennese croissants”. Different ways of preparing coffee like the coffee roasting method by Anna Ciundziewicka in “The housekeeper of Lithuania”, 1848 or suggestions by Olga and Adolf Hess in “Wiener Küche”, 1913 show usual methods of those times.

Kaffeebereitung nach Olga and Adolf Hess in “Wiener Küche”, 1913

The historic recipes and illustrations are sourced through Europeana and collections of the Austrian National Library and Vilnius University, cooked and photographed by the participating foodbloggers.